Raymond McKeeve will face the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal over allegations he told a colleague to destroy material covered by a search order.
The incident has already seen McKeeve fined £25,000 by the High Court for criminal contempt in 2022.
A former Jones Day private equity partner in London is to face a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) hearing over claims he instructed a colleague to delete evidence that was subject to a search order.
The SRA confirmed last week that Raymond McKeeve will be prosecuted over the incident, which dates back to July 2019.
The tribunal will decide whether his conduct breached professional standards. No date has yet been fixed for the hearing, and the allegations remain unproven.
The incident
McKeeve was advising the co-founder of online supermarket Ocado who had launched a rival online grocer through his own venture and wanted to secure Waitrose's grocery delivery business. His company won the mandate, but Ocado then brought proceedings against McKeeve's client alleging misuse of confidential information.
McKeeve allegedly responded to a search order issued on behalf of Ocado against his client by instructing a colleague to “burn it” (or words to that effect), referring to electronic material that was meant to be preserved.
The incident has already landed him in hot water. In 2022, the High Court found McKeeve in criminal contempt of court and fined him £25,000, with the judge describing the episode as a "spontaneous act of colossal stupidity". However, it was ruled not serious enough to merit a custodial sentence.
McKeeve left Jones Day in 2020.
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